Showcase 3: Emerging Expertise- Studying Neurological Conditions and Applying my Knowledge to my Internship

Introduction: Throughout my Honors College experience, I've been able to complete several research papers, networking as I shadowed physical therapists in Eskenazi hospital, and applying my knowledge from these experiences at my current internship with NeuroHope Wellness. These experiences have enhanced my knowledge as an exercise science student and helped me to improve my professional and communication skills. Below are these experiences that have been a huge part of my journey.

Motor Learning covered the nervous system and the different pathways in the body that initiates and completes movement. We spent several weeks focusing on sensory processing in the brain, the pathway of a movement being sent to the brain, and then the pathway of a movement from the brain to the spinal cord. In this class, we were asked to write case studies on a few different things. I chose to do my honors contract through this class and wrote 4 case studies. This included a case study about either Multiple Sclerosis or Guillain Barre Syndrome and a case study about specific drugs and how they affect the brain. I decided to write mine about Guillain Barre Syndrome, Gabapentin, Morphine, and Xanax. My case study about Guillan Barre Syndrome is pasted on the right.

Reflection: This honors experience helped me to improve my research skills and enhanced my knowledge of neurological disorders and the effects of drugs in the brain. It gave me a headstart into my current internship at NeuroHope Wellness as well. I had wanted to write my case study on Guillain Barre Syndrome due to the fact that I had never heard of it before. I had found that it is a rare condition and that there is little research on it, especially for the cause of the condition. I was able to find research on the drug Gabapentin as well, which is a drug widely used for nerve pain in the physical therapy world. Writing these case studies was very interesting and useful to me, and this experience allowed me to gain more knowledge in this area of neuro, where I have even been able to apply it at my internship with patients.

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Honors Contract in Motor Learning: Fall 2025

Shadowing Physical Therapists at Eskenazi Hospital

Over the summer in 2025, I shadowed a physical therapist at Eskenazi hospital to complete my observation hours for applying to physical therapy school. While there, I saw a variety of cases, but the majority of patients were from motor vehicle accidents who experienced severe head injuries. I got to witness the joy in a patient and their mother after the physical therapist helped them sit up on the side of the bed. This was exciting for them, as they had a hard time the day before. Seeing this opened my eyes to what a patient with serious injuries like that experience, and after getting to witness their excitement, it really piqued my interest into wanting to go into neuro for physical therapy.

Reflection: Shadowing in an inpatient hospital setting was new to me. Seeing the physical therapists and other healthcare professionals working together with a patient was completely different from what I have previously seen in an outpatient clinic such as Athletico. This shadowing experience introduced me to a new world of physical therapy and professionalism involved in patient care. Getting to see the patient and mother’s reactions as they made steps towards improvement in their recovery was especially rewarding. As I went into this, I was unsure of how I would like inpatient physical therapy. This experience really helped me to see that I would enjoy inpatient PT and opened my eyes to the neuro population as well, which led me into an interest in pursuing an internship with NeuroHope Wellness in Carmel.

Internship with NeuroHope Wellness in Carmel: Spring 2026

I am now an intern at NeuroHope Wellness, a facility that provides PT, OT, Speech Therapy, and private Guided Exercise training. With my knowledge of Motor Learning last semester and my exposure to neurological injuries while shadowing in the hospital, I work with a variety of neuro patients each day. During my internship, I get to help think of exercises, assist with transfers, and work with the trainer for the MultiFit lifting class as part of my internship project.

For this project, I am collaborating with the trainer for NeuroHope's strength classes to help improve client engagement with a group lifting challenge. To connect the theme of the challenge to go along with NeuroHope's partnership with Driven, we designed the goal around lifting the total weight of 33 race cars in the Indy 500, which is 52,800 pounds. Each week, I have attended the classes, assisted the clients, and kept track of the weight that they lift for set and repetition of each exercise. By combining everyone's efforts, they are reaching the goal of 52,800 pounds quickly. The trainer and I track the progress each week in Google Sheets to be able to add all of the weight together. This data is shown below:

Reflection: Working as an intern and running my own project has further enhanced my professional skills. With this experience, I have strengthened my organizational skills, communication skills, and knowledge as I get to work hands on with clients. This internship project has also helped improve my creativity and teamwork in healthcare as I work on helping client engagement for NeuroHope’s strength classes. The encouragement and community that comes with this project has been very rewarding as clients work towards a shared goal. Overall, my internship at NeuroHope has helped me grow professionally and personally as well. Every day I experience a glimpse of the neurological field I have grown to enjoy, confirming my interests and passion for pursuing my future career in physical therapy. In August, I will be starting my journey in graduate school for physical therapy at the University of Indianapolis. I have dreamed of reaching this stage in my life, and I am excited to see if I will go into neuro physical therapy or if I decide to pursue another specialty.